This study examined the effects of combined administration of tyrosine, lecithin, L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytryptophan （5-HTP） on heroin withdrawal syndromes and mental symptoms in detoxified heroin addicts. In the cluster-randomized placebo-controlled trial, 83 detoxified heroin addicts were recruited from a detoxification treatment center in Wuhan, China. Patients in the intervention group （n=41） were given the combined treatment with tyrosine, lecithin, L-glutamine and 5-HTP and those in the control group （n=42） were administered the placebo. The sleep status and the withdrawal symptoms were observed daily throughout the study, and the mood states were monitored pre- and post-intervention. The results showed that the insomnia and withdrawal scores were significantly improved over time in participants in the intervention group as compared with those in the control group. A greater reduction in tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia and total mood disturbance, and a greater increase in their vigor-activity symptoms were found at day 6 in the intervention group than in the control group （all P〈0.05）. It was concluded that the neurotransmitter-precursor-supplement intervention is effective in alleviating the withdrawal and mood symptoms and it may become a supplementary method for patients＇ recovery from heroin addiction.
In order to develop the heroin abstainers＇ cue-sensitization questionnaire （HACSQ）, and evaluate its reliability and validity, during March and April in 2006, the cross-sectional sample survey and cluster sampling were adopted among 939 volunteer participants who were heroin abstainers from 5 compulsive detoxification centers in China. The data were collected by the self-report questionnaires. The reliability analysis included Cronbach＇s a coefficient, split reliability and test-retest reliability, while construction validity was analyzed in the light of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Based upon the exploratory factor analysis, 4 factors were extracted, which were social emotion cue （SEC）, direct implement cue （DIC）, personnel cue （PC） and indirect implement cue （IIC） and they together explained 64.52% variance. According to the data, test-retest reliability coefficient ranged from 0.57 to 0.63, and Cronbach＇s α coefficient ranged from 0.86 to 0.95 across the 4 factors and HACSQ. The adjusted goodness of fit index was 0.75. It was suggested that the HACSQ demonstrated good validities and reliabilities, and may be used as a reliable assessment tool for the cue-sensitization among the heroin abstainers.
